the bird in the holly
by bored-piper
Summary: discontinued from me, another user will be using a variation of it for his take on the story. when raven is caught in a fight gone wary, the new villain will send her to a new dimension!will she strive to find a way back? find new love?or stay and fight with her new companions in a fight for their survival? 3-17-13
1. 1 the professor

*raven*

"TITANS GO!" was the familiar call from Robin, as we swept in to attack the new villain occupying jump city. He merely called himself the 'Professor'. His suit being a dark purple robe with a red rim around the bottom and neckline. As the team continued the attack, trying to find his weakness; I stood back for a moment, feeling the rest of the team had things under control I examined the machine the Professor was building. It appeared to be a ring, standing vertical, it stood at about 5ft, with a triangular base and many wires/controls protruding from the backside of the base.

After almost a half hour of battling, he was finally cornered, "give up now and come easily" demanded the titans' leader. "Well well not like I have a huge choice in this, now do I? At least I get the last laugh!" "What…?" robin was quickly cut off as the professor pulled a small pad out of the sleeve of his robe. The silver ring I was examining earlier crackled to life, and began pulling everything within 10 feet of it inward. The purple bolts of electricity slowly expanded outward. All this encased me, unable to move away as it pulled objects toward it, and dragged me until I almost was touching the silver structure responsible for this. " Ooh my, this is working so well, and look! We shall get a live subject to test it on with!" exclaimed the professor as he clapped with joy. "Hold on there raven, CY's a coming for ya, just hold on!" said cyborg as he struggled against the pull of the machine. "No! It will pull you in to, you can't come closer. Just leave now while you can!" "Raven, think about this now" yelled Robin over the roar of the machine, "Oh no! Oh no! Our dear little raven, why I think it's so brave that you're willing to let yourself be burned by the electricity, and slowly die as your watch friends helpless! Such fun! Such fun!" As the Professor again clapped in joy, clearly insane. "Cyborg, shut him up, Star, see if your bolts can destroy the machine from here. Bb, I want you to find anything that can stop this, search the ware house. Now!" "Oh think you can stop the inevitable? I think not!" claimed Professor as he hit the larger button on the remote, I was drawn closer, and into the ring, then blackness.

"Dude, where'd she go?" this from beast boy, "what do you mean friend beast-" "he means Raven's gone, where is she? What did you do?" the last line from Robin, as he turned and lifted the small man responsible. "Oh I fear tis too late now,, for she is no longer on this world! Ahahaha, you see dear titans, or remaining titans I should say, your friend is now in a different dimension! The one place humans haven't been able to travel between. Prisons are unreliable, planets are just as bad, but to send her to another dimension! Genius I think" " genius, I think we'll keep that in mind at your trial" this from Cyborg, well of course the act isn't finished! It would be disrespectful to just leave you with no end, don't you think? Well, here we go!" as he slipped the remote into his hand again and pushed a small button on the side. Behind the remaining titans the silver ring started to smoke, then with a startling _BOOM_, it exploded from its base, raining large chunks of twisted metal and electronics around the floor of the abandon warehouse.

*raven*

I began to regain consciousness slowly, I noticed a few things, first, I had a loose blanket over me, and my normal leotards were replaced with a loose single robe, with a band tying it at the waste. Second I noticed the smell of a tea brewing, and last, I saw a girl standing over the fire, maybe an inch or two taller than me, similar build, wearing red torn up trousers, and a shirt a bit too large, her left arm bandaged, just beneath the shoulder stretching to an inch or 2 above the elbow. "So you're awake" the girl said. "It would seem, might I ask what kind of tea that is?" "You're worried about tea? And I thought I've seen it all" "okay, so how did I get here? Last I remember I was-"suddenly stopping when I realized I didn't know who she was, and I couldn't quite remember what happened in great detail. "Okay, well what's your name? Always a place to start." "Raven" I said, "and yours?" "Holly, so where are you from? Not around these parts" "no, I'm from..the usa" "never heard of it, draw a map in the dirt" and so I drew a rough sketch of America, and a bit of Mexico below, finding this all strange, something was _off_ , so to speak as Holly came over, she simply stated: "no" "what do you mean no?"I questioned "I mean no as in there is no such place in this world, now I found you on the side on the road and brought you here, assuming there wouldn't be anyone looking for you around here…I have to be heading south tomorrow, you can come or stay" "I don't think I have a huge option do I?" "Doesn't look like it, but I must warn you, I'm not exactly…_liked,_ for lack of a better word, in these parts" "no worries, I know the feeling" "good then rest up, we'll be on the move for the next few days"


	2. 2 1st encounter and some tea

**I've been out for a little bit, but you can't get rid of me that fast, next chapter will be up sooner than later, hopefully. I don't own tt or atla, what a shame**

Next morning~raven

We were just starting out on the road south; going toward what I assumed would be my new acquaintance's home. About a half an hour into the trip, she asked me what I did back in this 'U.S.A',

" I was with a group called the teen titans, we protect our city from criminals, we were fighting a criminal called the Professor, we we're close to beating him when his machine transported me here." I answered, remembering this last detail after the nights rest.

"So you fight for a living?"

"Yes, but my magic has been weakened considerably on the trip here, it will take some time to recover"

"Magic?" she glanced at me when she inquired about this

"Yes, I can still cast small spells, but not fight with it; so where are we going to?"

" Umm, an island called Kyoshi, I'm part of a group there who protect it"

"What kind of criminals are there?"

"Criminals? I wouldn't say that, the Fire Nation, they want to take our island to train their benders"

" What do you mean benders?" I asked, her eyebrows raising a touch when I asked

"There's no benders where you're from?"

"Apparently not"

There were four nations, one for each element. Some of the people from each nation could control, or bend, that element. The avatar could bend all four"

"Why do you there _were_ four nations?"

"Ah, well about a century ago the fire nation attacked the air nomads, it's been a constant war since then" this went on for another hour or so, just answering questions and asking them. After awhile it became silent again. I learned that the group she's in, the Kyoshi warriors, was created by avatar Kyoshi centuries ago, she trained them to protect the island while she was away and after she had passed. When a warrior becomes 17 (her age now from what ive gathered) they select and train a new person to take their place when they can no longer fight for the island. she says the person she selected is the daughter of a previous cellmate from what i gather. she said something about 'experiments' that they conducted on her, but i didnt catch that much...

* * *

"we can stop to rest now, we should make it to the next town by nightfall" Holly said. it was about 1-2 in the afternoon now. My eyes began drifting across the hills in front of us, and eventually fell on her. Her She had her head perked up. listening it seemed. Then her head snapped to the left, as I glanced upward I saw it too. "DOWN" she yelled as she sprang up and dove on top of me. BOOM. "what are these?" "explosives, what else? I told you im not liked here" as we stood back up, 6 soldiers surrounded us, with 3 more behind them sitting on…_rhinos. _ "you can't fight without this 'magic'?" "not now, I wouldn't be able to take one these guys" "you are outnumbered now and under arrest, in the name of the fire lord. "- this from the leader, sitting on a rhino behind the main line.

"raven", I looked at holly in response, "surrender, they'll kill us if we don't"

"what happeneds after that?"

"well, they'll probably try to kill me, but you might get off with just a prison sentence if you're a good talker"

* * *

Trial, ive attended a few of these before, but never once did I think I'd be on the other side. Okay, well maybe trial isn't the word, because in trials there's innocent until proven guilty, there's double jeopardy, and there's a defense for the "criminals". None of that here, no defense, just an old man whose seen better days. An old man who sit up on a little pedestal, ready to decide our fate.

"in the name of the fire lord, let us begin. Our first person today: Holly, last name unknown, residing in the island of kyoshi, prisoner of war, previous criminal record; 3 escapes including the one preceding her capture and repeted offences against the fire nation army. Our second: raven roth, residence unknown, accomplice of the enemy…" he droned of with a bored tone… "the sentence for these criminals will be execution, for the repeted offences of holly, and the valid belief that raven wasn't traveling with the enemy out of 'coincidence' like claimed, that they will be a future threat to the fire nation and therefore must be treated and punished as a threat…the punishment will be proceded with at dusk two days from now. Until then they will be confined at the eastern state prison. "

* * *

I was sleeping in the cell a few hours later, it was around 9 pm back in jump, would be the same here but I don't know if it's the same system. Im a fairly light sleeper, and before I drifted off a saw holly fiddling with the lock of the prison cell. I woke up in the middle of the night to see holly slipping out of the cell, and head towards the bird cages, I saw her scribble a short note and fold it inside the covering of a tube attached to its back; _so that's how they communicate, like homing pidgins_

"if you can get out of a cell, why don't we break out now instead of simpily wait for our deaths?" I asked when she returned and locked the cell back with us inside

She turned; her eyebrows slightly raised, then with a small laugh: "getting out of a cell and out of a prison are two very different things; and I would get us out, or at least try, if we had enough time. Now go to sleep." As she crawled into the lower bunk, her insisting I took the upper one.

"So why did you send that note? Theres nothing short of a plane that could get your friends here in enough time to help us"

"yes, the Kyoshi warriors are small and too far away; and friends are few and far, but there are friends. Now go to sleep, I want to see what this 'magic' is before I die"

"Some optimist you are"

"no no, to me the glass is twice as big as it needs to be"

**Feel free to review, or pm instead if u want, ima slow writer so idk how itll take for updates…**


	3. 3 just like the romans

**I don't own anything, except my oc…and so on and so forth, ill be out for a little while, starting in maybe a week or so, ill try to get up a longer chapter by then…if I don't feel lazy, R&R please, that's what will decide if I continue this story with the larger plot I had in mind or not, drop by a pm if u really don't want to review, im realizing this is one huge run on sentence so ill shut up and (hopefully) end this sentence,**

*Execution day*

We were brought out on a cart, the two of us, tied together and chained to a cart. Bit paranoid aren't they? Unless of course they expected us to get free of the rope, past the guards at the one exit, and through the caverns they had us blindfolded when we went through. Yea, I'd say its paranoia. And to think when I thought execution it would be in a small unmarked room, not a chance. They were making this public, it's almost like this was, _entertainment_. God, they're just like the Romans. It appeared to be close to high noon when we were brought in to the arena. _so much for dusk _ it seemed that a few hundred people crowded the stands, including what looked like most of the personal from the nearby airbase. Still in uniform it seemed. Throughout this Holly remained calm, scanning the crowds over and over.

Once in the center, they stood us on two wood pedestals, probably 2 or 3 feet high, and a foot in diameter. This time not chaining us down, and the bindings being removed. Well, all the bindings save the rope on our hands.

"Rav, when they release the gates, a rhino will come out, he's probably been starved. After the speech is made I need you to get to the opposite wall as fast you can, don't question just -" she was cut short by a groaning of metal, and a rusty door swinging open.

"Citizens of the fire nation, and its widespread colonies, todays show will be provided by the island of Kyoshi, who have been terrorizing the fire nation for generations, and rejecting the divine ruler and his inevitable control. Now, they shall pay for their sins" the governor turned to the crowd behind him "do we have any opposition? Ha, I didn't think so"

"Just a prison sentence, right?" I said as I turned to Holly

"Well I guess you're not a very good talker, now go." I responded by sprinting to the back wall.

As I looked at the crowds, this time, I saw some stirring, a few people moving forward, some people in the third and forth rows up jumping down to the lower ones. They gathered on the edge of the first row, closest to us. All dressed like fire nation citizens, but they were clearly different. Their eyes, the shape of their faces, and later she would see, the way they spoke.

As I looked back at the gate I saw the rhino, previously being held back by at least a dozen guards. It was now weaving back and forth, ready to charge at Holly, still in the center, but now she was sitting on the wood stand. _Sitting, how on earth can she just sit there?_

Then the inevitable, it charged.

Charging across the earth nearly as fast as the T-car could, its head down ready to strike.

The something happened, a pillar of rock shot up in front of it, causing it to sharply turn to the right.

None of the guards had moved to stop me or bring me back to the center yet, so I looked around again.

The people I noticed who moved forward dropped into the arena. _They must be suicidal. _One larger man already in the arena was responsible for the column of earth. He had a white beard and hair on the sides of his balding head, clearly older and now shirtless, standing with his fist raised above him. Three came down into the arena_ I could have sworn it looked to be a dozen, but three?_

"Nice of you guys to finally show" Holly yelled as the older man trapped the rhino in a cage made of columns of earth.

"Tsk tsk, perfection is never to be rushed. Hehe, your should know better by now" he replied, in a voice I could only describe as slightly insane

"I hate to interrupt, but before more company arrives, who is this?" this from another elderly man with a top knot in his black hair. Wielding a sword pointed in my direction.

"A friend, now's not the time for introductions"

"Gibberish," he responded, then turning to me: "Piandao, it's a pleasure" as he clasped my shoulder.

"Raven, so is there only three of you?"

"Well, we came with four; Jeong Jeong should be arriving any moment now."

"I think our kind governor has come to his senses now" as holly said this, scores of guards came in through two entrances, the one for the rhino and another was a ramp, built into the floor.

"Oh my, what a reception! Pakku, when the last time they've greeted us like this before?" asked the insane one, as he turned to another man, who held a swirling ball of water in his one hand.

"Not now Bumi, definitely not now"

As the three older men kept up the banter, the one with water and the insane one began to back towards me, while Holly did the same. In a few moments, the five people were formed in a tight semi-circle; surrounded by at least 80 fire nation soldiers, lined in 4 crescent shaped rows around them.

"So Bumi was there ever a plan here? Or you just say t 'hell with it and drop in here hoping for the best?"

"Plan? You want our plan? Look up why don't you" he said in response to Holly, as a large shadow cast over them.

Jeong Jeong didn't join his friends when they went into the arena dressed as citizens, instead he went to the air base, just a few miles up the main road and relatively unguarded. Because of the recent capture of their friend, nearly the entire town was attending. Being it was one of the very few 'exciting' things that happened at isolated town far from much of the war. After sneaking past the majority of the guards, and eventually having to knock out a pair by the entrance of the hanger area. There was three airships based there, he went into the first and loosened the bolts connecting balloon section to the rest of the craft. He went to the second, a bomber this time, and loaded a few small explosives onto the third craft, then cut the ropes and let it loose with no crew. He was able to escape with the third ship, a rather small airship made for scouting. As he ignited the burners, there were a few shouts below, but by the time they reached him he was too high for them to do anything other than shout. He gave a small wave at them as he headed toward the arena.

As I looked above us, I could only make out what looked to be a large blimp. Then a red cylinder, probably a foot long and 3inches in diameter, fell from the blimp. It exploded just outside the arena, far enough from the crowded stands, but close enough to cause a panic that spread like a wildfire.

Then as it moved directly overhead a rope latter fell from it. Allowing us to retreat up it while most of the soldiers were distracted by the explosions while the governor displayed his lack of vocabulary at the soldiers.

"So who exactly are you guys?" I inquired, shortly after we were a safe distance from the town.

"Members of the white lotus, a small organization of masters. We happened to be in the area when we got your message" Piandao offered, but not before giving Holly a small glance. Her responding with a slight nod.

"Holly, Suki will kill me if I let you return in this condition, come" Pakku stated, as he lead her into a separate room on the cramped airship.

As she stood up to go with him, I noticed things I hadn't seen before, the first and most obvious being the bruises on her shins, and although her cloths covered most of the damage, I could also make out welts forming at the collar of the shirt along her back. Though she still had the bandages around her left arm; and despite the bandage, she didn't act like her arm was hurt.

The insane one, Bumi from what I've gathered, was humming contently on the bench on the left wall. While the one who stole the craft was steering, and Piandao was looking over some maps on the table attached to the right wall.

"We will be arriving to a small town across the water from Kyoshi in about three hours, if your fast you can be there by nightfall. We'll set up a boat for you to borrow too." This from Piandao, "any questions?"

"Actually yes, what are those bandages around her arm? It doesn't appear she has an injury there"

"That, is something none of us really know exactly. She aviods talking about it, but if your that curious you could ask her, or try asking Suki when you get to the island"

"Why do you think she'd talk to me? I mean if she hasn't told any of you…"

"She didn't help you for no reason; considering the risk in that, especially after she just escaped. Besides, she's very easy to read; just have to know her language"

**Guess I never did end the sentence from the beginning, just a comma no period, tehehe, **


	4. 4 arrival at kyoshi

**Im back! Hopefully…maybe…eh, either id love to say I could update sooner because I was studying for school. But I don't think studying is an excuse for me, so ill just stick with I kinda got lazy and I was kinda busy and then I forgot about it, and, ooh, something about studying was in there too! Hehe**

**Either way, I don't own either of the shows last I checked, but hey, if you ever want to just give TT or ATLA or both of them to me, feel free too! Hope you enjoy this chapter, not as long as anyone would hope, but I hate typing so it happens. Plz. Review! Its part of if I still continue this or scratch it (again)**

We were getting off the airship at a small jetty south of the town. It was a relatively calm ride there, Bumi sat there, humming to himself, until he fell asleep mid-way through. Piandao was very interesting to talk to and I told him about the Titans, he said he would be pleased to meet Robin sometime. Although I don't see how it could happen, he was adamant they would meet sometime. Jeong Jeong didn't speak much, but was polite when he did. And Holly and Pakku remained in the separate room for most of the time, he explained that water benders had healing abilities and she would rest until we arrived to the towns outskirts…

"Goodbye and best of luck. And Holly, do what you think is best" Piandao yelled, referring I think to a small pouch he handed her before she went down the rope latter.

The others simply gave a small wave, except for Bumi, who said something I couldn't hear over the engines and walked away laughing to himself.

While catching a ride with a merchant to the island, she tossed me a small pouch:

"Piandao wanted me to give it to. It signifies you as an ally of the white lotus organization. Just Keep it on you, its saved my life more than a few times before, and it just saved yours by the looks of it." she said staring at the growing mass of land on the horizon

As we walked into the village's square, the majority of the people ignored us and continued on with their daily lives, I think the most reaction we got was a small nod from a vender, ''we'' as in at holly of course. which was very odd, being a half demon usually causes most people to notice me, even if they don't know why. At the far end of the square there was a single guard bearing a sword that resembled a katana, I think she was the only person who actually recognized my existence when we got here.

"so, where are we going to?" I asked as we went down a steep path just past the outskirts of the village.

"The Dojo"

_Well isn't that very helpful_ I thought and decided to drop it. Figuring if she wanted to do anything to me she would have tried it by now.

"Piandao said I should talk to somebody named Suki, can I find her at this dojo?"

"not now you won't, it's her shift now if I remember, so you already saw her" she responded, effectively ending the conversation

_damn her, why can't people just give an answer that doesn't leave more questions? _

We continued to walk in silence for a little while more until we came to the modest hut buried in the side of a mountain. The first room was open with a very worn wood floor, with fencing equipment on the far wall along with some set of armor matching the one that the guard in the square wore. Also I noticed 4 dummies used for training stashed in a cavity in the corner. She continued past these and into a smaller hallway, with a washroom to the left and another room at the end. The far room contained just a few benches and 9 hammocks, stacked in rows 2 high with one perpendicular at the end. She put some water for tea in the wood burning stove at the end, rolled into the nearest hammock and promptly fell asleep.

As I waited there for the tea to finish, I figured I shouldn't use my powers yet, allowing them to regenerate for at least another 24 hours before I started practicing. So I opened a small pocket dimension and pulled a new book I found before the fight, called Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl.

It was maybe an hour until I sensed somebody enter the dojo and head toward us, she entered the side room just after I closed the pocket dimension, with my book in it. The new person took one of two fans out of the band that was tied around her waist and threw it at Holly, poured a cup of tea for herself and leaned against the wall sipping

"you came with her?" she asked me it a quiet voice

"yes, I …"

"Good" she cut me off, and went back to her tea

"you know lin, there's far better ways to wake up people" – from a now very conscious Holly getting out of the hammock

"yes, but what's the fun in doing it the easy way? So who's the new girl?"

"Raven, she used to be in a different team, hoping she could stick around for a bit until she can get back" holly said to Lin

_I wonder if I leave the room they'll even notice_

As lin shifted her weight to get a good look at Raven, her knee gave slightly and she had to sit down on the bench across from Raven.

"leg acting up again Lin?" I turned to my right to see the guard from the square enter,

"yea, this one's busted again, grab me another will ya?"

_What in the heavens did I get myself into?_

The square guard reached into a chest under one of the hammocks and pulled out a wooden prosthetic leg, and tossed it to Lin.

Holly spoke up finally: "Suki this Is raven" gesturing toward me "needs a place to stay for a bit"

"can she hold her own?"

"yes" was holly's quick response

…_But I've never proved I can fight yet…_

"good, show her around the island before supper. Tomorrow you'll start on the night shift, we can talk later about the prison camp" said Suki as Lin helped her untie the padded armor she wore

15 minutes later we were walking on a shore line dotted with boulders, Holly had changed into a tunic like the one Suki was wearing, without the pads and katana; however, she still carried two fans at her waist.

"the island was created a few centuries ago by Avatar Kyoshi when she split it off from the peninsula, we've been keeping watch over it ever since. When the war began we were able to stay relatively out of it, but in the past couple years, the Fire Nation has been harassing us with their raiding parties, some say they've also hired the pirates that are active around here to give our merchants a rough time.

"you know when she said for you to show me around the island, I wasn't expecting a history lesson too much" raven stated, not with malicious intent, but as a simple observation.

Although holly seemed to find this observation funny, "you know, she actually meant for me to show you the town, port and the farms dotting the coast. But I find that very dull and a lot of walking."

"so what were you and Piandao talking about on the airship?" she continued, trying to find something to talk about, anything to talk about.

"not much really, although now I am curious why you stopped to help me,"

"How 'bout a kind gesture?"

"well that's what I thought, until I realized you just escaped from a P.O.W. camp. I mean realistically, if you didn't stop to help me, those soldiers wouldn't have been able to catch up and surround us."

"probably true, but they would have gotten you while you were unconscious then. Besides, I had my reasons."

"like?" I asked, desperately hoping I wasn't pressing the person who probably saved my life.

"Really want to know don't you?"

"I would like to"

My response was her lips planting a soft kiss onto my cheek, I tensed up, not really sure of what would be next. Then she suddenly stood up, her head hung low, and began to walk back to the dojo.

"supper should be ready soon, sorry about that."

_Why is she apologizing?_

"So Cy, are you SURE this thing doesn't have a flux capacitor?"

"Yes BB, im sure"

"totally sure?"

"well here an option, you can help us trying to rebuild it and get raven back home as soon as we can, or you can go look through the pile of scrap metal we have left from the explosion"

"oh, well, then I guess ill help then…" as Beast boy looked at the security camera image that was taken of the machine and the multiple charts scattered around the garage in Titans Tower


	5. 5 Musashi

**I don't own anything, but go ahead and sue me if you want, I hope you enjoy a couple of dimes**

**Much thanks to those (4) who did review since I wrote this. I hear they're recruiting, so join their ranks!**

On the way back it was very silent, I didn't know quite what to think, aside from: she's_ never seen me before she found me on the road, it can't happen that fast can it? _and even a lesson back in Azarath many years ago,_ remember the most important thing you can do is give someone a chance _ yea, give somebody a chance, Azarath has a lot of hypocrites, I've noticed.

As we neared the dojo, a young girl ran up to us yelling about a "giant black ship off the coast" and continued to run into the town spreading the news

Holly's face went pale as she began running to the dojo, looking back down the left fork of the path I could see people going into their homes, and a few went into a hatch built into the ground behind a fruit stall. Two more of the Kyoshi Warriors turned onto the path running toward the dojo.

_Figures, and my powers won't be up until midday tomorrow _I thought as I started toward the dojo, having nowhere else to go.

At the dojo I saw at least 5 people arriving, grabbing various things off of the racks on the wall of the dojo, and continuing down another path to the far end of the island.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" I said to Lin when I stopped as she passed.

"The _Musashi_, Fire Nation's most powerful ship, also the only one we haven't been able to stop" she said quickly as she pulled me into the large training room "here, take this and a spare katana, go to the town and get into the tunnels until this is over." As she handed me a piece that went over my wrist that expanded into a small shield, and gave me a quick shove out the door and onto one of the many paths leading away from the building.

Walking into the town I was able to see a column of smoke rising above the tree tops, as I stared a large man came out of a doorway and waved me over.

"You're not safe out there, please get in and remember, don't talk or they'll find us" he said as he lifted a rug off the floor and pushed me none too gently into a hatch in the floor.

As he closed the hatch he led me around a turn and I could see an entire family with a single lamp lighting the cramped space.

_A tunnel system, brilliant, nobody can get hurt as long as they're inside_

It was maybe a half hour until the tunnel became unbearably hot, yet still nobody would utter a word to each other, when the man tried to crack the hatch, the metal lock was too hot to grasp at. Silently cursing he went back to the rest of us and whispered that we would have to wait.

On the other side of the island, the nine warriors could see the rising smoke from the town, a victim of the trebuchets on the deck of the _Musashi ,_they have defeated the small invasion force easily, but with no way to get to the ship they could only watch as it sailed slowly away, taunting them, knowing it would be back soon in another attempt to take their home away.

"A shame there's nothing we can do to the coast to stop it from coming in" stated Suki, it was a problem they've ran over many times, only to come to the same issue as before. The sea floor dropped steeply just offshore, preventing them from installing chains attached to floating buoys on the bottom. These chains would become caught in the invading ship's steering systems, forcing them to turn back before really causing a threat to the island. It was a method they've been able to use since Kyoshi was created.

"m-mmother, are they gone yet?" ask the petite girl next to Raven, who must have been no older than 14.

"I don't know yet honey, please, just trust the girls, we'll make it out all right"

Holly had a very make-shift sling around her right arm, created from a former soldier's shirt. Next to her was Maki, one of the oldest members of this generation of warriors, to Maki's left was Lin, leaning heavily on a burnt tree

Raven felt something brush against her leg, she looked down to see a creature that loosely resembled a cat, she picked it up and gave it to the girl, who she would later know as Willow, the person who chose Holly to train her to become a Kyoshi Warrior in years to come.

Suki and the other five warriors regrouped with Maki, Lin and Holly, and began the ¾ mile hike back into the village, Lin and Suki supporting another warrior with an injured leg as they moved along behind the group. Maki toward the front of the group, trying to pick her way through the littered path as fast she could, with Holly following close behind

It's been about 15 minutes since Willow had asked if the Soldiers were gone yet. Raven had moved to go and see if the hatch could be removed again but the man had stopped her, saying not to do anything until 'the girls' had come back.

Maki had been the 1st to reach to town, and immediately began to go through the homes on the south half of town, where the merchants along with her apprentice were hiding. Parts of the town had houses and buildings on fire or still smoldering, and a warehouse, or what used to be one, was directly hit _Musashi's _deadly weapons

_We must have been down here an hour or so _Raven thought, the girl had moved around her and was playing with the cat; her parents had been waiting silently, _but for what? It seems to be safe enough by now to go out _

_Knock-knock_

The girl looked up at the hatch and responded with a quick:

_Tap-tap-tap_

As she moved quickly behind Raven

Above ground, Suki had just arrived, leaving Lin at the Dojo to begin helping the wounded. Maki kicked in a hatch in the floor of one of the homes, and lifted out the small girl, Willow. Next to come out were the parents.

As Raven began to climb out of the tunnel, she felt a cold sensation against her neck,

"And you are?" Raven looked up to the speaker, a girl who was maybe a year or so older than her. With a sharp face and black hair, pulled back into a half-ponytail. Also she had a katana drawn to Ravens neck,

"Maki, Hol brought her" Suki yelled from two houses down.

"Knew she's been up to something" she replied with a hint of a smirk to nobody specific.

Sheathing her sword and offering a hand to Raven, she mentioned that Holly would be at the dojo with the other injured

"Injured? How bad?" Raven asked quickly, with a concern she herself did not know she had.

"Yep, she's got good taste" Maki said as she began walking to the next house, not really answering raven's question.

Raven began walking away from the town, allowing her feet to lead her, the sun had already set and the only light that allowed her to see was from the few still burning buildings in the village. The walk on the beach just a mere hour before still replaying in her mind. As she looked up she saw the dojo, where her feet almost instinctively lead her, and instantly a scent she knew only too well greeted her, that of blood. She went inside following her nose and saw Lin cutting swiftly away the right half of Holly's shirt to reveal a bloodied shoulder.

Raven touched her fingers together to create a small black spark. A spark that she always began with when she healed somebody

_I shouldn't have enough power to do that yet_

"aah, Lin, I might be able to help here,"

"Go ahead," she said as she backed away "just remember, you screw up, you'll have 8 very pissed people and an island after you" she whispered into my ear with a grin.

"Isn't she just charming" mumbled Holly who was leaning against the wall,

Raven could feel the energy flowing out of her as she attempted to at least patch the wound, she knew that it would only take minutes to heal; but without all of her powers, the wound would still be very sore the following day.

Half hour later they were eating slightly overdone rice sitting in the hammocks, while Raven could tell the other 5 warriors were curious about her, questions were at a surprising minimal once they knew that one of their own had brought her here.

_They're so…trusting, even if Holly did bring me here, how could they all still trust me? Another dimension or not, Trigons influence usually keeps people away _

"hey, could we talk a bit outside?" I asked Holly, lightly touching her good shoulder to get her attention

"oh uh, yea I guess"

"look, I'm really sorry about…before, I mean, I'm sure you're already taken back where your from…" Holly began trailing off as the two continued down a path. Looking off to the side away from Raven.

"And why are you so sure of that?"

"well I just kind of assumed,"

Raven placed her hand on Hol's shoulder, causing her to stop and turn toward Raven. Planting a soft kiss onto Holly's lips was something she never once thought would happen. And days before, Holly kissing back was something he would have thought equally as insane.

"I hope that answers your question"

"ill take what I can get" and looping her good arm around Ravens waist was the only response.

**Haha, just noticed I switched a lot between 3****rd**** person and 1****st**** person (raven) a lot, and figuring ill be doing that probably a lot by accident if I write more, might as well apologize for it out now.**

**Please review! You probably see it so many times on other stories that most of you ignore it, but it means a lot! Or pm if you don't want-always up for suggestions too, knowing my wtiring is usually very unstructured**


	6. 6 trouble sleeping?

**Okay, italics with be almost always Ravens thoughts or a flashback/dream etc. no, I don't anything, deal with it I know you can. Much thanks to those who have been reviewing or (more often) private messaging, you don't go un-noticed!**

* * *

_It was a very dark room that night, a cramped 4 foot by 6 foot cell. Isolation and interrogation was what the sign on the hallways entrance said. The only opening in the cell was at the bottom of the steel door. Only a few inches high, it was used to push in food. Once a day the rusty bowl filled with soggy rice would come. Some days 'visitors' would come by, and then the cell would be left to darkness for a full week more. On the right and left walls were grid-like panels, allowing a chain to be attached to the wall. And off that chain would be a cuff. One taunting cuff that was just too small to slip one's hand through. _

"_Why can't you just make this easy and give us answers?" asked a very bored looking man leaning against the far wall. _

_The teenager on the adjacent wall just slouched there, supported only by the chains digging deeply into her wrists._

"_Screw you" the teen said in a shaking voice, but one that would keep fighting_

_The man just sighed, picked up a small knife and made a very shallow cut across the prisoner's abdomen. Within the next ten minutes the room would smell like vomit, courtesy of the poison laced blade that the man had left on the table before he left_

_Today was a visitor's day_

* * *

Holly sat up off the floor. The dream, no, the memory still vivid in her mind. Looking over Raven was still asleep in the hammock, along with the rest of the warriors. She had insisted the Raven took the hammock until a new one was set up tomorrow. Holly flinched as she moved to stand up. Her shoulder still aching from the fight the day before. She stumbled to the doorway and pulled a katana from its stand against the wall. Using it to support her she would slowly make her way to a hill overlooking the bay, dawn wouldn't come for a few more hours.

Raven woke to the rising sun, filling the room with a soft glow. Around the corner Lin was cooking a small breakfast for the group; a few unnoticed spots of dried blood decorated the floor near the exit of the kitchen to the training room.

"Wasn't Holly complaining last night that it was her time to cook?"

"Oh, uh, yea well I figured she needed a break"

Raven sat down and started to test her powers, they've improved greatly since she spent her first night in this dimension.

"Damn, how is that even possible?" Lin asked as Raven levitated a couple of bowls off the table.

"Through my emotions, the more I show, the more power is released" she stated not taking her concentration away from the bowls, and now the pair of chop sticks that were floating above them.

"Okay, so like the madder you get the more powerful you become?"

"I guess that's one way to put it, although it can be-" "so basically I shouldn't piss you off?"

"That'd be helpful" Raven said with a faint smile

"Helpful, healthy, all the same" Lin said as Maki and some more of the warriors entered.

As the girls sat down to eat, Lin began passing out bowls of vegetables and rice to each setting, hesitating when she reached two empty ones at the end of the table.

"Split hers up" Suki said as she walked in from outside, taking a seat at the other empty setting. The extra bowl was passed around the table until there was no more left.

* * *

"Suki, can we talk for moment?" Raven whispered to Suki as she passed.

"Of course" Suki slipped into the empty training room

"Where did she go? I mean it looked like this was normal but-"

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to find her, it's…not something she shares with us"

"But you don't expect me search the island, can't you at least tell me where she is?"

"No, but I can say the trail isn't hard to follow" she said gesturing to the red stains by the entrance, and the imprints made by the katana left in the soft dirt.

* * *

"It's quite a view"

"That's what they've said."

"You mind?" Raven asked as she sits down next to Holly, her shoulder still bandaged, and the linen wraps around her left arm haven't moved since they met a handful of days ago

"Would it matter if I asked you to leave?"

"Nope"

"Then I guess I don't mind too much"

"You know, the monks from where I was raised mentioned something during a lesson one day, they called it Dream viewing, they said it was very uncommon, but if one person shared a strong enough bond to another, he or she could see snippets of the others dream."

Holly's eyes widened a touch, then returned to their neutral state almost immediately

"How much of it did you see?"

"Not too much, just the cell really, and a small table"

_And maybe the knife and the rest of it_

"So there's no way to control this dream thing?"

"Some say they have, but it can take years of practice"

"You know, I can probably heal that shoulder fully now." Raven continued on as she moved herself behind Holly.

Letting her power heal Holly had only taken a few minutes,

"C'mon, we should get you some breakfast now; I think Suki mentioned a training session or something later on too." Raven said as she started to stand up

"No no, stay, they won't miss me at training" Holly reaching for her arm and gently pulling Raven back beside her

"They won't miss you? Robin would freak if we skipped out on training" a hint of sadness lined Ravens voice as she mentioned her team.

_I'm sure they've started working on the machine by now, but even if they get it to work, it could easily send them to another dimension or on the other side of this world, if so there's a slim chance they'll be able to find us_

"Nah, Suki won't mind, it being right after I got out an' all," Holly had managed to curl herself around Raven, her head resting on Ravens shoulder

_This is actually pretty comfortable_

* * *

"You know Suki's going to catch on sooner or later, then she's gonna chew you out real good" both Raven and Holly turned back to see the speaker, Maki, leaning against a tree.

"By the way Hol, she needs you on the north side" Maki continued "found some markings on a body from yesterday, thinks you might know what they mean."

"Now can I get up?" Raven asked when Maki walked away

"Two more minutes, now don't rain on my party" Holly said as Raven allowed herself to enjoy the warmth. Even resting an arm on Hol's shoulders

"I swear if you ever do this when I'm reading…"

* * *

It was a very clean kill; at least it looked like it. A clean diagonal cut across the throat

_Much too thin to be a sword, maybe the fans they use are sharpened. Although it's still odd to use fans as any kind of weapon, maybe I'll ask why they do sometime later_

Suki pulled up the man's left sleeve to reveal a couple of letters and a triangle burned onto the man's arm

Con-312-s=L-frat

Was what the marking said, had it not been such an odd combination of letters Suki probably would have ignored it

"well, they're getting desperate, I'll tell you that much" Holly said, her hands shoved into her pockets, standing a few feet away from the main group "using convicts as soldiers, bastards probably promised them freedom to cooperate too"

"How about the markings, they mean anything to you?" Suki said,

"The triangle means he's from the Attica Correctional Facility, 312 is his cell block, L for life sentence and frat., well, that's something else"

_How could she know that? She said she was in a prisoner of war camp, not a prison. And Attica, that sounded familiar…_

Raven wasn't able to do much other than stare at the mass of bodies that had accumulated from the fight the day before

_Nobody can do this much with only nine people, and yet they did without any of their own getting any life threatening injuries. Damn._

Another thing that surprised Raven was the burial. The warriors were searching through the soldiers looking for names, letters, or hopefully a will they could send back to their families with the next raiding party. And even more was they were giving what looked like a formal burial at sea.

_But why? I mean the soldiers were trying to kill them less than a day ago, and they took the time to give them this when they wouldn't get it in return no doubt._

"…they were just following orders, many believing they were doing their nation a duty, the 'right thing' they thought. Blinded by the propaganda given out by their government…" Suki was saying as if on cue.

Raven turned to see Holly walking away from the small service, back to the Dojo

* * *

"Not to be pushy or anything, but how did you get caught? I mean, I saw what you and your team can do and I can't imagine them just taking you…" Raven, sitting at the table, was speaking to Holly who was shuffling through cabinets for something pre-made, being Raven didn't trust herself with making food and Holly didn't 'feel like making something this late in the afternoon'.

* * *

_Flashback _

_Suki was staring at a man dressed as a Fire Nation lieutenant. A rather short man actually. Okay, to be fair he was just an inch shorter than Suki, and maybe 30 years older but hey, close enough. There were five of the warriors in the line-up, Suki, Holly, Lin and two others, Maki was hiding in the brush with Willow and the rest, waiting for an opportunity to strike._

"_I'll ask you kids again, bring me to leader of the resistance here and we won't hurt these villagers"_

_He glances across the faces of the girls and waved at his men. Signaling them to drag a small boy forward. They were part of a small group of merchants who did not make it into the tunnels until it was too late. In fact, Suki was not sure they even knew about the tunnels. When she was briefing the merchants on the dock the night before this particular family was more worried about getting onto the boat before nightfall._

_Suki already had her left foot forward, about to step up and let them take her in exchange for the family's safety when she felt a hand grasping at the back of her padded armor. _

"_Leave this island and the merchants to do as they please, and I'll go with you for whatever you intentions are" _

_Suki stared in shock as Holly pulled her back, and stepped forward to say this. Holly, of all people. She thought. The one that always seemed to be the outlier in the group. More than once had villagers suspected her of trying to snatch a free ride on the island instead of protecting it. But she had proved herself when all else failed before. But this, why? Suki had never asked or wanted another soul to go in her place, even if she would face unspeakable horrors there. It was her duty to face those wasn't it?_

_She could never forgive Holly for doing what she did._

_And she would never be able to thank her enough for it either._

_As she was being pulled away by the lieutenant's guards she mouthed something to Suki_

'_you're the heart, no heart, an island is nothing'_

_But then again, it's been said that the brain will fill in gaps in your memory, fill them in with what you want to hear._

* * *

**Suggestions? I'm open! Pm or review, also i just noticed formatting didnt want to copy over from the document to here on this and probably the previous chapters, well, that's annoying to say the least**


	7. view profile---chap7, possible discont

**Sorry about the little wait, no I don't own anything, except my OC's, and the plot, and your soul (but really, nobody says I don't). **_**Italics **_**will always be ravens thoughts. Also in this chapter blocks of **_**italics**_** are 2 monologues (Cyborgs and Ravens). R&R!**

_The Machine_

_Week 3_

_ Today we used the information Robin managed to squeeze from the Professor to finish the plans I drew up. Actual plans to rebuild the machine can't be made because only Raven has a clue how the dimensional traveling works. And nobody will go into her room to look through her books. Although we couldn't figure out how to create a portal, or one that would link to whatever world Raven was sent, or one that would move us there in one piece…we were able to make rough plans connecting the communicators through the machine's core, and broadcast to the closer Dimensions to us. Hopefully Raven will be close enough to receive it and respond if her communicator hasn't been damaged. Personally there are too many variables to expect this to work. But as it's been said: hope for the best, prepare for the worst. It seems that surprisingly Beast Boy also has an idea that it may not work. Although he may not show it to the rest of the team, he more grounded to earth than many think. Starfire continues to worry for Raven, and has been hanging small symbols from the ceiling of the common room. Something with Tarmanian traditions and nobody has been in the mood to argue. Robin has recruited some help from Titans East so I would be able to work on the Machine uninterrupted, and he could make trips to the prison whenever he though was needed. Regardless, the plans for the communicators are completed and we've been able to construct most of it beforehand; without the information from Robin's last visit to the Professor. Robin also has hopes to make the Honorary Titans inter-dimensional , although he hasn't said it directly or planned much past the idea it seemed pretty clear with him watching the construction when he wasn't training or busy fighting the criminals who've been getting bolder since Ravens left, especially Dr. Light. Ravens a tough girl, she'll see it through. But that can't stop us from being worried sick over here. About to test the Communicators now, hope for the best._

_-Cyborg_

_-Verbal Log Entry 2.0.7_

Raven waved her hand in front of her making an obsidian shield. A spear snapping in half as it made contact. To her left a tongue of fire spat forward, pushing back the metal circular shield that it met with. The green kimono behind the shield was slightly burning as it lunged forward into the mass of red armor.

**We're all desperately seeking out, and fitting in, with anyone who will accept us**

**But not you…**

****Raven froze. Looking down at the clasp on her cloak as it flashed. The round communicator at her waist emitting the song, the white 'T' smudged with fresh mud. Next to it was a gold fan; a gift from the team for helping heal them last time.

"Umm" Raven looked around, the Fire Nation soldiers closest to them had dropped their weapons and stepped back. Even the Kyoshi Warriors close to her were looking at it with uncertainty.

She fought that day against the will of Holly and Suki. She had been anxious to get back to something that was remotely familiar to her, and helping protect her temporary home seemed like the right thing when she left the dojo and took the path toward the town. And besides, the fight didn't last too long when they thought they were fighting a "witch".

Seeing that the soldiers where slowly backing into their ship, she flicked open the dirty communicator.

"Robin?" she said, but only seeing a gray wall on the video screen

Waiting a minute and receiving no response, she sadly went to flip the power off, hoping to conserve the battery.

"Raven? RAVEN! It works!"

Cyborg flashed up on the screen. "We're still working on the machine, but it ain't lookin' to good right now. You know, it's just that the one who knows about other dimensions isn't here" he continued

"I think that's an issue" she said, silently relieved that her friends were safe.

"Man is it nice to hear that again, nobody been keeping BB in check since you left"

"How's he holding up?" she asked, Raven's always knew that he had a liking towards her. To what extent she could only guess, but maybe because of this she would worry over him more the others. A brother-sister bond is the best she could describe it. _Poor Beast Boy, I have no idea how he'll react to Holly_

"Well I can't say how long it will take for us to get the Big Machine working, correctly, that is. But will you be able to hold out for a lil' while longer?"

"What? Oh, yes I'll be fine" she responded, snapping out of her thoughts.

"You sure it's all good where ever there is?"

"Yes, just…nothing, tell Robin I'll beep him tonight or tomorrow."

"Will do, take care of yourself." And with that, Cyborg disconnected the link; more relaxed knowing that his teammate was in no harm. Not bothering to go back to his room, he hooked up to the generator next to the machine and began a well needed rest.

(Raven, monologue)

_A lot has changed since the Titans first fight with the Professor. Being sent to a different dimension was something I never thought I would do. Of course, I knew I could with my powers being tied to an inter-dimensional demon (something I still haven't found the time to tell the warriors about, or Suki and Holly at the very least, they deserve to know at the very least.) I always feared intentionally traversing the many dimensions because I thought it might tap into Trigons powers too much. That and I have an issue he never had to deal with; getting lost. With a potentially infinite number of dimensions out there it could prove very difficult to find my way back to the one I called home. While Trigon would just choose one he liked and call it his new home. Sure I had the ability to do it. But humans have the ability to do great or horrible things. And yet many remain peaceful. They have the ability to do, but they made the choice not to. Among the changes that have occurred, I became an ally of the Kyoshi Warriors, and of the much larger group the White Lotus. I placed blind trust in a person I only just met on my first day in this new world. A person who was luckily fighting for the right side in this war torn world. Blind trust. That's something humans do. But then again, so is love. And love is something I can't imagine experiencing with any other than that girl I placed my blind trust into. Going home will be a great thing a day I will look forward to. Seeing the people that accepted me for who I was, and expected nothing more, nothing less. But it will also be a day I dread, leaving this brave new place that I first felt love in. This place with people of an unbreakable will to survive and protect their home. To protect each other. People that have accepted me for who I am. They did not want me to fight alongside them, because to place a friend of theirs in unnecessary danger never crossed their mind. But if one of them would get hurt and I knew I could've stopped it, I would never forgive myself. The same guilt that affected me is the same that affects Holly. My one and only._

**A/N**

**Kinda had trouble deciding where to go next, but hopefully this worked out with what I wanted. Not sure how long this story will end up being. Me being impatient and joining a new pipe band will fill up my schedule a bit, so I may start to finish it, then add flashbacks as later chapters if I get bored. The song Raven had for the communicator was "Odd One", by Sick Puppies. Awesome song, even better band. Also just realized a named a Goo Goo Dolls song in here by accident, let's see who reads this and bothers to go back and look. It's in their ****Greatest Hits Volume I, The Singles**** album. Now I'm just writing because I can, ooh look, a review button, press it and see what happens!**


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